How Therapy Dogs Can Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” –Josh Billings

How true is that!

Dog owners would agree that merely being around their dogs fills their hearts with a sense of happiness, contentment, and peace. No matter how dull and dark the world might seem, as soon as our fido greets us, we tend to roll back to our happy-self and start savoring the moment!

Over the years, we, the human breed, have realized the importance of these four-legged sweethearts and learned how their companionship can beat multiple mental and psychological disorders. Medical science has affirmed that dogs contribute to driving emotional wellbeing.

Considering the importance of dogs in reducing stress levels, the concept of therapy dogs has been embraced globally. From schools and airports to retirement homes and disaster areas, trained dogs are widely used to offer calmness, affection, and comfort to people in need. This idea has taken significant strides in recent times and has become quite popular in the United States.

Today, we have identified the best cases that have shown positive results from therapy dog sessions. Have a read and know what a wonderful job therapy dogs can do.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD)

People who have gone through some trauma or witnessed some dreadful events like the death of someone close, often find it difficult to embrace their routine back. They experience panic attacks, sudden mood swings, nervousness, and uneasiness in social gatherings, all of which negatively impact their personal and professional lives.

If you know someone who is experiencing PTSD or depression, let them meet and spend some time with a therapy dog. This will help them achieve emotional support and keep anxiety levels in check. Dogs can understand the feelings and moods of their human companions and thus help them recover from hardships and stressful life situations.

Children with Autism

Autism, aka autism spectrum disorder, is a condition in which a person has trouble communicating with others and understanding what other people think and feel. The condition makes it very difficult for them to express themselves with words, gestures, facial expressions, or touch. Small children dealing with autism find it hard to socialize and prefer to live in their own little space.

However, studies have shown that children with autism can form good relationships with our little paw buddies and show noticeable signs of improvement with their condition.

Therapy dogs can help autistic children feel more composed and relaxed, making it easier for them to emote and express before others openly. They feel comfortable interacting with therapy dogs and find it easier to share their personal space.

Heart Patients

In recent times, excessive stress and a hectic lifestyle have contributed to the rise in the cases of heart diseases. If you, or someone you love, are troubled with heart disease, we would recommend visits with therapy dogs!

Many heart patients have responded positively to therapy dog visits. There are enough facts that prove how animal-assisted therapy improves cardiopulmonary pressures, neurohormone levels, and anxiety in patients hospitalized with heart failure.

Treating Alzheimer Patients

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. This disease usually grips old aged men and is pretty complex to treat.

Many owners train their dogs to assist Alzheimer’s patients. They are taught behavior interruption techniques, which helps reduce anxiety and related chaos. Alzheimer’s patients often become irritated, but therapy dogs distract them and get them to refocus. The wagging tails of dogs help patients calm their minds and switch to the joyous mood.

Summing It Up

As is apparent, our little four-legged friends have a lot to offer us. These faithful companions can help us recover from life situations that are emotionally taxing and might take a toll if left unchecked. Therapy dogs have been able to reduce depression just by creating a happy aura. The best part is, they have succeeded where many medicinal treatments have failed! Isn’t this something to be happy and proud of?

We believe therapy dogs have a crucial role to play in today’s world where empathy can be a mighty cure for different illnesses. If you think that your furry friend can offer peace and comfort to people out there, do consider becoming a member of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. It is one of the best ways of giving back to the community and creating a happy life for people facing difficult times.

We at Alliance of Therapy Dogs are committed to sharing smiles and joy. We are a happy community of over 16,000 active members and are continually adding more teams to support the cause. We provide testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance services for our members. If you feel that your dog can help in bringing smiles to the needy ones, please contact our office and help us in promoting the cause.

MAKE A DONATION

ATD is a non-profit 501c3 organization. We operate from member’s dues and donations. Donations help to fund the ATD Scholarship, continuing education, conferences, and other services. All donations are tax deductible.